Lao-Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, credited as the author of the famous Dao De Ching text and for founding the philosophical tradition of Daoism.

Revered as the 'Father of Chinese philosophy' and a contemporary of Confucius, this renowned figure is believed to have lived during the Warring States Period (475 and 221 BCE), although some historians contend that he didn’t actually exist at all.

Dao is the law of the universe

According to historical records, his birth name was Li Er but in ancient China ‘Li’ and ‘Lao’ had the same pronunciations which led to him being called Lao-Tzu, as well as Laozi and Lao-Tze.

Whether he was a real person or an amalgamation of several philosophers, the school of Daoism (also written Taoism) had still managed to become synonymous with him by 100 BCE. This was in part thanks to the Dao De Ching, a collection of 81 classical texts that are believed to hold answers to the meaning of life.

Written over 2,500 years ago, the Dao De Jing, (Daodejing, Tao Te Ching) has become the most translated of all Chinese books with more than 1,000 different editions published around the world. Some historians claim the book is a collection of centuries of wisdom, not written by Lao-Tzu alone.

It is sometimes referred to as the ‘bible of Daoism’, a school of philosophy created by Lao-Tzu that believes Dao is the law of the universe, harmony between man and nature, and the transformation between yin and yang.

The ‘transformation between yin and yang’ means that one quality can transform into the opposite quality when it reached its peak. For instance, Lao-Tzu believed that misfortune and blessing were interdependent—sometimes misfortunate could be a blessing and vice versa.

It is also believed that “have” and “not have”, just like “action “and “non-action”, were relative and could transform the other. “Non-action” means you do not intentionally seek benefits but can get better results. Thus “non-action” is transformed into “action”, meaning you should not suffer pain for the sake of benefits.

The concept of wuwei, or “non-action”, has had a profound impact on the Chinese who believe that simply living and no struggle are both virtues.